The CEA Startup Fund invests in high-growth, scalable businesses that are tackling global markets in the creative industries.

The CEA Startup Fund was established as the first dedicated investment fund in Australia that specialises in accelerating the growth of companies in the creative industries.
The Fund is designed to generate a commercial return while helping creative businesses access much-needed capital for growth.
Over $1.2M has been invested to date and CEA takes an active involvement in managing our growing investee companies. CEA is expanding our investment services for creative tech ventures so if you are looking to raise capital, please complete our Expression of Interest to see how we can assist your startup.

theright.fit launched in 2016 and is a two-sided marketplace for creative ...

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of businesses does the CEA Startup Fund invest in?
Just being “creative” or employing creative people does not make a business an investment candidate for the Startup Fund.
CEA accelerates companies with a focus on design, fashion, entertainment, photography, music, film and television, digital technology, games and interactive content.
The CEA Startup Fund is specifically focused on high-growth, scalable businesses that are tackling global markets within the creative industries. Many of the companies we have considered for investment could be viewed as "tech startups" by other investors, and we are very open to co-investing with mainstream early-stage investors including angels and Venture Capital funds.
Although we’re not limited to investing in “creative-tech” companies, the sweet spot for us is companies that use the internet to give them access to global markets and to scale rapidly in the creative industries.
For more detailed information on our investment criteria, read this article.
How much do you invest?
We invest between A$25,000 and A$150,000 in startup businesses with high-growth potential in the creative industries in Australia.
Is the CEA Startup Fund a grant?
No. The fund operates as a commercial investment vehicle and takes an equity stake on an arms length commercial basis. We do not provide grant funding.

What sort of businesses does the CEA Startup Fund not invest in?
The CEA Startup Fund does not invest in:

Creative artisans whose business is based on selling their individual creative output (eg. painters, sculptors, musicians).

This activity, while important, is not "highly-scalable". If you run one of these businesses within the creative industries, please consider some of CEA's other services.
The CEA Startup Fund also does not invest in charitable, not-for-profit or social enterprise organisations, companies seeking funding to pay off bank or personal debt and businesses that are not in the creative industries.
Can CEA help my business even if it does not meet the fund’s investment criteria?
If you're running a creative small business that doesn't fit our investment criteria, we'd still love to work with you - CEA offers business mentoring programs and networking events that might be more suitable to your needs. If in doubt, we're always happy to have a chat so feel free to contact us.
If you operate in the visual or performing arts and are based in Queensland, CEA is one of the consortium partners which manage the Arts Business Investment Fund.
For further details on how to apply for Arts Business Innovation Fund, visit: ABIF site and Arts Queensland Funding site

If you have read the CEA Startup Fund guidelines and your business meets the fund’s investment criteria, please complete an Expression of Interest

Company Name*

Name*

FirstLast

Email*

Phone*

State*

Overview of Business*

In what way is your business considered creative industries?*

Amount of funding sought from the CEA Startup Fund, total amount of funding round, and use of funds*